MARS Release 1 - November 15, 2003
MARS LP1 - Minds 1-14


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Artist/Composer: MARS
Date: 2003-11-15 00:00:00
Label / Recorded by: Piemerican Records
Keywords: experimental; electronica; mutation; ambient; beyond; electronic; instrumental; minimalist; spastic; trip hop; video game

Notes

http://piemerica.org/MARS/albums.html#Minds

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Reviewer: Emperor MAR - - October 15, 2008
Subject: MMMMinds1-14
This, Minds 1-14, is an album to square off in your favorites list of CDs. Vaguely resembling IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), it's 14 tracks of Thrillsville, daddio!

Never, Mind is a long and completely effective opening song, unlike so many other openers. It goes through all the classic MARS mutations before ending satisfyingly on a high mutation of the original sound.
2 Down is a short, spastic track resembling a fall through Mario space.
Death wouldn't feel completely stupid if it lived on a Turok soundtrack, even with it's blinking light piano sound at the beginning.
Fun Sucks Parts 2&1 is a 6:40 romp. FS Part 2 (roughly 3:22) is a through an RPG terrorscape complete with a blinking BG light sound, possibly a throwback from MARS' RPG Maker days. The second part, Part 1 is a louder mix recalling those ole crystal caves of yore. (Everyone breathes a sigh)
And then you're shaken by the sudden Pole Position rhythm of SHOCKly. A great techno track with nothing to lose.
cORNERED Placement is a haunted house tune, supposedly a remix of cP from the Piemerican Disc. Brings back memories of Mario haunted houses, that it does.
Mind 7 is a solo piano track by MARS. After a shaky tremolo, it leaves you hanging on a faint swishing sound only to let you know a few seconds later...THE PIANO'S STILL THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ancient Sea....If you don't like this track, you don't like music. How many songs actually SOUND like what they're named? Not many, I tells yer. Sounds like an old Grecian ship docking on a war-ridden Mediterranean shore, ready for battle. Absolutely perfect track...er, Mind.
streg/Brain Staggeringly Intelligent. A (literally) windy track with a title acknowledging the "Staggeringly Intelligent" song writing skillz of MARS. Watch out for the modulated vocoder voice. A wonderful track that could have been a candidate for being the opener in a shorter cut.
Wáké Úp is a weird, minimalist Mind with carefully hit tribal drums and a Rugrats sound. Oddly one of my favorites.
Fynil CeE is an amazing long song strangely like Ancient Sea (but it's not) with the dominant sound changed to a high-pitched sparkling star type of sound. If you liked Ancient Sea (which you DID), then you've gotta hear it!
pik mix ix is another spastic tune with the vocodered Piemerica voice sample being continuously modulated in the background. A definite promo track.
Ok Now starts with a sound like the beginning of the studio version of Fog (Alligators in New York Sewers) and adds sounds like a xylophone and an organ to become a short ambient masterpiece.
Mind 14 should have a title, dagnabbit! It starts off reeking of bad ending song fears and then blows up into the biggest, longest airship closer heard on this side of Piemerica!! Trip hop becomes the main theme as the airship begins to lose altitude and becomes more tinny as it drops faster and faster........Then the airship explodes in a huge ball of flame, Krakatoa-style. It's in the running for best song on the album.

In short, a classic album. I'd pay 20 bucks for it if it sold in a retail store. (Don't get any big ideas, MARS.) If you don't have it, get it. GET IT! NOW! RUN!

An album rating Egg/Muzzz??
--Egg/Muzzz, Dec. 13, 2003